Strap cutting machine



June 1940- M. P. MEIQDWICK El AL ,205,573

STRAP CUTTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 5, 1939 INVENTORS may Pflledwio? 62/ 1 BY 2arZ'eA.Eul0

Patented June 25, 1940 UNITED STATES STRAP CUTTING MACHINE Maury P.

Application January 5,

1 Claim.

This invention relates to machines for cutting leather, imitation leather, fabric, or other suitable sheet or strip material into straps or similar elongated sections of predetermined length.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple, speedily operating machine of this character by means of which either elongated strips or sections of sheetmaterial or material of other 'shape may' be severed into straps "of desired length and Width and simultaneously provided with a tapered and a straight end and also, if'desired, formed with a plurality of spaced holes to receive the tongue of a buckle.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an-' embodiment of the invention is shown, Fig. 1

is a machine made in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is an end view of the machine; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lowerportion of the machine, and particularly of the guide'by means of which the material to be out is directed between the rolls; Fig. 4 is a sectional view'on' the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction'of the arrows; Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the cutting froll; Fig. 6 is a sectional view on. 26 'theline 6-45 of Fig. '5, looking in'the direction machine, the same being adapted for attachmentto a table or other suitable support. The base member I is formed, or otherwise provided, with four upstanding bosses, two of which are indicated at 2 and the remainingpair shown at 3. The bosses 2 each support a vertical rod 4, while the bosses 3 support similar rods 5. Adjustably secured upon the two rods 4 is an upper bearing 6, while a similar bearing 1 is'mounted below it on the same rods. Adjustably secured on the rods 5 is an-upper bearing 8, and a similar bearing 9 is located on the same rods below it. All of the bearings are arranged to beclamped on the rods by means of the clamping screws l0 extending through lugs 43.. Through the ary rangement shown, it will be apparent that the motor or other suitable source of power not Medwick, Brooklyn, N. Y., and Marie Eula, South Norwalk, Conn.

1939, Serial No. 249,390

shown. Mounted at the opposite end of the shaft H is a cutting roll hi, the same being pinned to the shaft by the pins 15, or else being secured thereto in any of the conventional ways.

The cutting roll I4 is transversely slotted inwardly from "its periphery as indicated at 15 in Fig. 5, and fixed in said slot with itssharpened edge l6 projecting slightly beyond the periphery of the roll, is a cutting blade or knife l'l; Blade" of the blade and holding the blade in position intheslot.

heads of the screw overlying parts of the edge Similarly secured in the roll M, by means of Y screws 2| or the like in the manner explained:

is a V-shaped-knife 22; and secured at the apex 'of the knife 22 is a straight'knife 23 held in place by means of the screws 24. The cutting blades of the angular or tapered end 25 on one end of the strap l9. Secured in the roll 14 is aplurality of spaced punch members 26, utilized for orjknives'22 and 23 co-operate in the formation the formation of the spaced holes 21 in the strap I I9. These punch members 26 are tubularand are secured in bores 28 in the roll M which ex--v tend laterally as shown in Fig. 6 and open at one side of the roll 14. Thus, the waste'material punched out of the strap by' means of the punches 25. will be forced through the punch members and'through the passages 28, and be ejected=outof the open 'end'of the-lateral por-' tions of said passages To facilitate the feeding of the leather or other sheet material to be out into the straps, the periphery of the cuttingroll i4 betweenthe knives and punches is covered with a suitable non-slip material 29, such as soft rubberor the like.

Mounted to rotate freely in the bearings l and 9 is a shaft 30' upon one end of which is securedthe roll 3|, said r011 co-operating with the cutting roll I4 in producing the'strap; Roll 3! is an idle roll and rotates together with the shaft 30 on which it is fixed, freely Within the bearings I and 9 and it is preferably composed of a soft material, such as a soft brass or some other similar material which will not damage the cutting edges of the several knivesli, 22 and 23. By adjustment of the bearings 6 and B to or from those shown at 1 and 9, the roll l4 may be moved toor from'idler 3|.

The structure thus far described is adapted'fcr use in cutting sheet material of a predetermined width into relatively short lengths. The material to be cut may thus be in the form of a lengthy strip 32, a portion of which is shown in Fig. 3. The strip 32 to be cut into the strap lengths is guided between the cutting roll [4 and the idle roll 3| by means of any suitable guide means such as that shown which has a pair of adjustable, spaced flanges 33 which are set the required distance apart to suit the width of the strip 32 being directed between them, said flanges being preferably integrally formed on the plates 34 resting upon a base plate 35, on which they are adjustably secured by means of the set screws 36, which pass through the slots 31 formed in the plates 34. Plate 35 is provided with a boss 44 secured on the upper end of a supporting post 42 having its lower end anchored in a boss 38 formed on the base I, by means of the set screw 39.

Briefly the operation of the machine is as follows:

With shaft II in rotation, the section of strip material 32 is either manually or mechanically fed between the guides 33 and inserted between the rolls l4 and 3| which move the material forwardly. Knife l1 cuts a straight end IE on the strap; knives 22 and 23 cut the angular or tapered end 25 on it and the punches 26 form the strap with thespaced holes 2'! and the strip so formed is ejected from between the rolls. It will of course be understood that the length of the strap, the spacing of the holes 21 therein and their positions relative to the ends of the strap, are merely matters of spacing according to the dimension of the particular strap to be formed. Accordingly, the cutting roll may, if desired, be provided with a plurality of spaced knife-receiving slots and punch-receiving apertures so that both the knives and punches may be shifted accordingly and placed in any desired position to meet requirements. The section of the strip that is severed between the knife I! and the knife 22 is waste as far as the present machine is concerned, although it is usually employed for trimmings in shoe manufacture and is thus not really wasted.

While we have herein stated that the improved machine is especially adapted for cutting the straps from elongated sections or strips of leather or the like of a predetermined width, the device can also be readily employed for cutting the straps from scraps or other small pieces of leather or from irregularly shaped sections of almost any width greater than that of the finished strap. For example, in Fig. 8 is shown a structure modified to include rotary cutters 4U properly spaced apart to cut a strap of the proper width from any suitable width of material that is fed between the rolls l4 and 3|. In the structure there shown, the other features of the cutting roll previously described are incorporated, so that with such structure a strap is cut to the selected width and length; is punched with the holes 21 at the selected points, is tapered at one end as indicated at 25 and is cut straight across at the other end as indicated at I8. Other modifications may be readily made in the structure without departing from the spirit of the invention.

While we have herein described the invention as being particularly adapted for the formation of straps from leather or similar material, it will be understood that the same is not limited to the use of that particular material since the device disclosed will elficiently operate upon almost any suitable flexible and thin sheet material as will be clearly understood by those skilled in this art.

What we claim is:

A machine for cutting straps from sheet material comprising, a base, two pairs of spaced vertical shafts arising therefrom, each pair of vertical shafts carrying a lower bearing, a horizontally disposed rotatable shaft mounted in said bearings, each pair of vertical shafts carrying an upper bearing,- a horizontally disposed upper shaft supported in the upper bearings, a cutting roll secured on one of the horizontal shafts, an idler roll secured on the second horizontal shaft and co-operating with the cutting roll in severing a seotionof sheet material fed between the rolls into predetermined lengths, spaced knives one of the ends of the roll whereby waste material cut out by said punch means maypass out of said open ends.

MAURY P. MEDWICK. MAR'I'E A. EULA. 

